His gaze locked on the Ancient standing on the bow of the wrecked boat, now directly below the helicopter. The vessel was taking on water from a hole in its hull. It wouldn’t be long before it started to sink.
He took one last look over his shoulder where Gabrielle watched him from the cockpit. Her beautiful face was tormented, gaze tender with both confidence and sorrow as he prepared to join the fight.
“I love you,” she mouthed to him.
I will love you forever.He didn’t have the words, but she didn’t need to hear them. She felt them through their blood bond. He could see it in her eyes.
He turned back to the target of his fury.
Then he launched himself out the open door.
He came down hard atop the Ancient, taking the massive male to the deck with him. One taloned hand held onto the box containing the three crystals. The other swiped at Lucan, narrowly missing taking off his head as they both scrambled to their feet.
The Ancient’s mouth peeled open in a snarl, fangs like daggers. A roiling black energy billowed up from the box and coalesced into a spinning ball of power. It flew at Lucan, driving him backward off his feet. His spine crashed against the deck. His lungs wheezed for breath, and he didn’t want to think about how many bones he’d just broken.
Sheer will and rage brought him to his feet.
The Ancient hurled another ball of dark energy at him. Lucan dodged it, then leapt at his opponent in a flash of movement.
This time, the Ancient lost his grip on the box. It hit the deck, sending all three egg-sized crystals rolling across the tilted surface.
Overhead, the blanket of darkness filling the sky and all of the Atlantean island started to weaken. Sunlight struggled to pierce through the thick, shadowy fog.
If the darkness fell away, Lucan knew he would have little time to finish what he had to do before the sun’s ultraviolet rays devoured him.
His son and his Order brethren too.
On a roar, he smashed his fist into the Ancient’s hideous face. The Ancient shifted, flipping out from under Lucan and getting swiftly to his feet. Lucan stood, drawing one of the long blades strapped to his chest. He hadn’t bothered with guns. Those weapons would do little good against the powerful otherworlder.
The only sure way to end the bastard was to take his head.
Lucan, being Rogue, could be reduced to ash with just a nick from a titanium bullet or blade. Or the sharp edge of a titanium box.
The Ancient seemed to know Lucan’s vulnerability. He lunged for the box.
Lucan swung his blade, not at the Ancient’s head, but at the talon-tipped hand right before it had a chance to close around the box. The Ancient roared, staring dumbfounded at the bleeding stump at the end of his arm.
He charged before Lucan had a chance to swing his blade again.
The full force and massive weight of the otherworlder’s body collided into him. Lucan twisted in mid-air, refusing to let the Ancient take him down again. As he spun out of the way he felt a searing pain slash across his back, but it was no match for his fury.
He landed on his feet, crouched and ready to end the son of a bitch.
The Ancient faced off in front of him. Blood pulsed from his severed wrist, and from the tips of the talons on his surviving hand. He stared at Lucan, his chuckle an unearthly sound.
Lucan felt wet warmth soaking his black combat shirt and the backs of his thighs. He didn’t have to look down to know that most of the blood pooling on the deck was his.
He lifted his blade, noting the thin ray of sunlight that kissed the edge of is as the heavy, dark mist continued to dissipate all around them.
“Come on, you fucker. Let’s do this,” he growled.
Time was running out from all directions.
CHAPTER 47
Darion shot his last titanium round into the skull of a Rogue as it charged at Sebathiel and Yurec. The two Atlanteans were fighting beside him, part of the larger group of Order warriors and Selene’s legion soldiers who were holding the hill below the palace.
Ashes from the scores of smoked Rogues swirled in the gloomy darkness. Their numbers had seemed endless, but finally Darion and his comrades from both armies were gaining the advantage.
